Anza Borrego Desert

American Expedition Vehicles explores Anza Borrego California for the first AEV Customer Tour of 2014.

AEV Customer Tour : Anza Borrego Desert from American Expedition Vehicles on Vimeo.

Audi quattro® ice track challenge

Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider - two DTM champions who still have a score to settle. The perfect place for it: a racetrack that has been carved out of a frozen lake and therefore demands everything from both drivers. Their racing cars: two Audi RS 6 Avant quattro®.

Who will win? 

Un side-car sur le toit du monde

Custom motorcycle "Clockwork Orange" from Custom-studio "Motodepo

  

SILVER PISTON MOTO GUZZI V50 MK3

Steve is a master craftsman, a skilled jewelery maker specializing in biker-centric adornment for his company Silver Piston. Based in his workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, his days are spent crafting the tiny details on his now famous Indian Head and Hobo Nickel rings. A life long rider and a lover of Italian twins, earlier this year Steve decided to apply his crafting skills to something a little bigger, employing life size tools without the need of a magnifying glass and tweezers.

Steve sourced an ’82 Moto Guzzi V50 Mk3 and traded it for a hot rodded Stella scooter. It was a straight trade for a bike that had a top-end rebuild but an electrical problem that couldn’t be tracked down. A couple of friends vouched that it once ran well and was a strong bike.

Steve took it to his buddy Drew’s house, the electrical problem was traced to a plug behind the ignition key that’d come loose. He plugged it in and it fired right up. After getting to ride it up and down the road a few times it was taken apart and the process of building a cafe bike began. Knowing that there’s a whole load of difference between crafting fine jewellery and building bikes, he recruited Drew to help him with the spanners.

Once apart, the bike was taken over to another buddy Ben Boyle’s shop, Bender Werks, for the metal work. Ben de-tabbed the frame and then chopped the rear. From there he fashioned a hoop to support the tail section and built a plate to hold the brake light as well as the license plate. He also took of the huge hook on the back of the fuel tank and mounted tabs to bolt the tank directly to the frame. The holes for the MG badges on the sides of the tank were also filled in as well as the lock hole on the tank cover. Finally, he cleaned the old handlebar hoops and filled in the holes to have only a bracket to hold the Motogadget tiny speedo.

Drew’s old roomate, Justin, is the kind of guy that occasionally likes rewiring things because it’s fun. Crazy what some people consider doing for a laugh. So as his schedule allowed the bike was rewired from headlight to brake light. A Mogogadget M-Unit was installed to handle all the electrical as well as a new regulator/rectifier. Motogadget bar end turn signals (indicators in English) were installed to meet the requirements.

After that was all finished, Brandon Turner of the Brother Moto crew took the task of painting. It’s a gorgeous aquamarine with chunky metal flake.

Steve still has a list of things he’d like to do to it, and the next step is to get the forks set up with a bit more adjustability and upgrade the rear shocks. But, after waiting a year and not being a very patient person when it comes to cool toys, he’s done for now.

Steve’s first foray into bike building has produced a pretty, clean cafe racer in a bold colour-way with simple classic lines.

the Bike Shed

Norway’s North Cape in a Classic Porsche 911: A true winter wonderland...

Norway's North Cape is one of the most northerly points in Europe. When the time was right, Classic Driver Frank Strothe checked the battery and alternator of his 1966 Porsche 911 (shod with studded winter tyres), stuffed a sleeping bag and other essentials under the ‘bonnet’ and set off...

The Idea

I’ve always wanted to go to the ‘Nordkapp’, writes Frank Strothe. I’ve been before, in the summer, but there was no challenge in it. So for years I’ve pondered a winter expedition; driving in the snow is more fun, especially in a classic car that relies on your driving skill to keep it on the road, rather than a host of electronic safety measures. In Finnmark – Norway’s northernmost county – mothers use run-of-the-mill hatchbacks to take their children to school in -40deg temperatures.

So to make the trip worthwhile I needed a slightly more adventurous ride: what better choice than an original, unrestored Porsche 911?

I was given various tips on how to make sure the first leg of my journey wasn’t to be my last. Recommended equipment included a portable heater, a satellite phone, auxiliary fuel tank, additional lights and a crash course in basic mechanics. Perhaps a little naively, I ignored them all. I wanted a ‘pure’ experience, so I checked the battery and alternator, fitted spiked winter tyres and packed a sleeping bag and tent into the front luggage compartment. No more messing around, it was time to get going.

The Trip

I trailered the 911 from Germany with – what else? – a modern Land Rover Discovery. From Kramfors onwards I left my fate to the old Porsche, which I drove to Rovaniemi for the first night. Next day, the goal was to reach Ivalo where my reward would be a session at the Porsche Driving Experience, to drive some of my car’s descendents on a frozen lake. It was very impressive, but, when dusk settled, I was glad to return to the wheel of my classic 911.

The next morning, I attempted to make the short trip from the old fishing village of Gjesvær to the North Cape. However, progress was halted by an oversight in my journey planning. Due to crossing a time zone, and the ban on covering the last few kilometres to the Cape alone, I had to wait an hour to join a twice-daily convoy.

Our cavalcade was a rather small one as it turned out. Led by a listless snowplough, it was just a BMW X6 with Russian plates and my 911 bringing up the rear – probably one of the most diverse trio of vehicles I’ll ever belong to. Since it was so deserted that day, I had ample time to photograph the car next to The Globe, the North Cape’s landmark monument.

During one refuelling stop, I noticed the tyre pressures were a little low. I corrected them and went on my way, only to spin the car while pulling out of the petrol station (much to the amusement of a bus full of German tourists). I made my getaway, ego somewhat damaged, and again began to enjoy the sprawling, empty road ahead. By this point I had covered over 2,000km in snowy and icy conditions and had become accustomed to them, happily wagging the 911’s tail through corners.

Unfortunately, another dramatic spin soon left us both in deep snow, the 911 truly beached. It turned out that the air pressure gauge at the petrol station was wrongly calibrated: each tyre had been overinflated, so the spikes were no longer effective on the ballooning tyres. A friendly group of Norwegians came to my rescue - but not before the return of the holidaying Germans who had another chuckle at my expense.

Apart from that, and a spell where the alternator threw a wobbly for a few hours, the 911 was very well behaved. It even played saviour when I returned to the Land Rover at the end of the trip, as the Discovery’s battery had drained away. In total, I travelled 6,000km in six days, and pretty well loved every minute.

Car & Equipment

1966 Porsche 911 SWB, with the carburettor trumpets partially taped-over to prevent them icing up. The only other modifications were the studded winter tyres. The car is unrestored and totally original.

Be careful. You should always carry enough in the car to survive a night outside at -40deg: an Arctic sleeping bag, a tent (or, at a push, you could sleep in the car), a down jacket, thermal trousers, thick gloves, a hat and plenty of food.

I didn’t, but you should really take snow chains for emergencies. Fill up whenever the tank is half full. The 911's heater will not work properly below -20deg. So, while driving, I wore ski pants, a Polar anorak, thick mittens, a hat, and hiking boots. And still froze.

All the windows were frozen solid, too, apart from the windscreen. But in such a deserted land, it’s only necessary to look ahead…

 

Photos: Frank Strothe

We congratulate Frank Strothe of Pure Classics on the completion of his North Cape tour in his classic Porsche 911. For his current dealer stock, visit the Classic Driver Market

You can find many classic and modern Porsches for sale in the Classic Driver Market

AD HOC DUCATI 750SS ADROCA

Passion manifests itself in many forms and for some the depth varies. I sometimes wonder how us lot behind the scenes at The Bike Shed actually manage to produce events, keep a website going and run a business when we are all so consumed by a limitless desire to enthuse about motorcycles, constantly. 1am, standing at the doorway, jackets on after a long planning meeting, eyes red and minds scrambled. Do we go home? No, we stand there for another hour discussing the lines of particular fuel tank or the potentially pointless but overwhelming desirability of a titanium frame to house an air-cooled engine.

For the second time this week a Ducati has been the subject of a customisers creativity. This time though it feels like David from Ad Hoc Café Racers in Barcelona has been either inside my head or listening in on conversations about future personal builds. Fortunately for David, his clientele are slightly better positioned to commission the bike of their dreams. Jordi Roca is regarded as the world’s finest pastry chef and co-owns the 2013 World’s Best Restaurant Award winning Celler de Can Roca. We aren’t talking Great British Bake off in a countryside marquee here, this is the Michelin Star collecting real deal.

Building for such a discerning customer always adds a little extra pressure but Ad Hoc are a dab hand at turning out wonderful machinery so David sucked it up and arranged a briefing meeting. Jordi pitched up with a relatively modern Ducati Monster 696 with a notion of it receiving the café treatment. David quashed this idea and sent Jordi packing with instructions to find a late nineties 750SS, as this would suit the flowing, flat frame lines of a potential design.

Obviously the donor was stripped completely bare and pampered with hours of detailed, loving care. The motor is stock but with painted cases, done properly as Ducati seemed to fall at this hurdle back in the day. The airbox has been modified to accommodate a battery and some wiring but essentially free flowing filters for the carbs are the only performance upgrade, well that and the Dunstall silencers mounted to modified collectors.

Like a Milanese lingerie model’s stockings, the Ducati L-twin is supported by structural wonderment, the trellis frame requiring little or no adaptation, just a light buttock tuck at the rear to ensure a clean view of David’s craftsmanship above. In this case a dual seat option. For selfish knee-down, Pyrenean blasts there is the Mike Hailwood rep (MH900) inspired fibreglass race tail with sit-in-the-bike Alcantara seat and bum pad. And when a tough week tantalising eager diner’s palettes is over Jordi can offer one of his equally talented chef brothers a lift home on the slightly humped passenger set-up; also exquisitely upholstered in black Alcantara. The silencer hangers double as pillion peg mounts, neat.

The MH900 was inspiration once more for fuel storage. With both seat units refusing compatibility with a standard tank David was forced to fabricate one from scratch, which frankly makes the bike. The internal fuel pump and original cap have been incorporated into the fairly angular but flowing shape; traditional curves meet modern panache.

A true visual reference to Mike “The Bike” Hailwood’s machinery would perhaps fall short if it didn’t in some way incorporate a degree of racing form and function. The fibreglass fairing complete with custom subframe instantly transcends decades and creates a nostalgic theme whilst keeping the clocks slightly out of sight. Tucked down, sheltered from the wind with twin Dell’Ortos howling inches from your chin; thats what motorcycling is about.

A retro touch, and rare these days, is the chrome plated frame. A welcome change from powder coating’s current proliferation. Two-tone, and in particular slabs of white, paintwork is a signature of an Ad Hoc bike and here the Strawberry Syrup red is boldly but neatly broken up at the rear of the tank; and the race-tail when fitted.

Three-spoked and distinctly nineties styled Enkei wheels have been superseded by the thin spokes from a Kawasaki stock wheel. Pop quiz as to which one. A fine detail that deals with the heavy set originals and the gap left between each spoke. Very modern Michelin Pilot Power tyres ensure Jordi can give his new toy a proper workout, and add an extra topic of conversation when the nice judges comes to visit with their briefcase of culinary stars.

As you might have gathered, I like this Adroca quite a lot. If this is the sort of bike that would cause you to wax lyrical until the early hours then head over to the Ad Hoc website for more, or follow David on Facebook.

via The Bike Shed

Creating a storm: Lamborghini Aventador BAPE Arctic Camo

What type of vehicle would you want to take to the top of a mountain? Why, something with four-wheel drive, a ski box and plenty of cylinders, of course…

You might think that interpreting these requirements as a modified Lamborghini Aventador, rather than say, a G-Wagon or an old V8 Defender, would be a schoolboy's error. But Canadian tuning firm Dynamic Performance has in fact taken inspiration from professional Swedish skier Jon Olsson, who has been running supercars fitted with custom roofboxes and body wraps as daily drivers for some years now. His back catalogue includes two Gallardos, two Murciélagos (one being a 670-4 SV), a Nissan GT-R and an Audi R8.

Dynamic Performance’s Aventador has a few body modifications from (thankfully) the more subtle end of the usual supercar tuning spectrum, but the most obvious is that white-and-blue camouflage wrap. It was designed by Japanese clothing manufacturer A Bathing Ape (commonly shortened to 'BAPE'), which has previously clothed numerous cars in camouflage patterns – including the founder’s AMG-tuned 300 SL.

Photos: Marcel Lech

For further information about Jon Olsson's 'skiboxed' cars, visit jon-olsson.com.

Numerous Lamborghinis can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

Touquet : un enduro vintage pour fêter les 40 ans

A l’occasion du quarantième anniversaire de l’épreuve mythique, qui aura lieu du vendredi 30 janvier au dimanche 1er février 2015, une nouvelle course, l’Enduro Vintage, se tiendra exceptionnellement le vendredi.
Cette course particulière de motos d’avant 1990 sera organisée en deux manches de 30 minutes : la première à 14h et la seconde à 15h30. Afin de faire un clin d’œil à la toute première édition de l’Enduro, en 1975, le nombre d’inscrits pour cette épreuve sera limité à 286 participants.
Les vainqueurs sont dans la course :
A course exceptionnelle, participants exceptionnels ! Les vainqueurs des précédentes éditions prendront le départ aux côtés des participants afin de célébrer comme il se doit les 40 ans de l’épreuve mythique !
Voici un aperçu des anciens vainqueurs déjà inscrits :
Daniel Pean
(1976)
Serge Bacou
(1980)
Jean-Paul Mingels
(1981)
Kees Van Der Ven
(1982, 1983, 1984,
1985, 1986)
Eric Geboers
(1988, 1989,1990)
Yann Guedard
(1992)
Jerôme Belval
(1994)
Arnaud Demeester
(1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008)
David Hauquier
(1997)
Jean-Claude Moussé
(1999, 2004, 2012, 2013)
Thierry Bethys
(2000, 2001, 2003)
Mickaël Pichon
(2010)
Steve Ramon
(2011)
Adrien Van Beveren
(2014)

Infos sur www.enduropaledutouquet.fr
Une vidéo pour se rafraîchir la mémoire !

via Enduromag.fr

Selfies ......